This first book in the Foyles Bookshop girls. For some reason when I read this a few years back I struggled with it. But I’ve no read it again and I’ve really enjoyed jt. The story of the girls who work at the famous Foyles Book store in London. I loved getting to know the characters and how they coped during the First World War. It gave a good insight into what life was life for everyone at that time. 3.5 ⭐️

Great story, easy to read, easy to keep turning the pages. Highly recommend to all others. Great historical background.

Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

I liked the characters well enough but the storyline stalled in quite a few places. I hope that the next book in the series will have more drama surrounding the characters. OK title, a good start, but could be better.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy,

It was a well-written historical fiction. I will be checking out more from Elaine Roberts soon.

I thought this was an enjoyable easy read though the pace was a bit slow to begin with. I appreciate the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts was a tough read for anyone who has lost someone to the trauma of war. There are a lot of books out there that are from the trenches and from the soldier's point of view or after the fact, however, this book is from the perspective of the women who were left at home to deal with the effects of war outside the battlefront.

I enjoyed meeting Alice, Molly and Victoria they are women who didn't think they were strong but showed throughout the book that they could do more than their male counterparts expected of them. This book is a buoy to all women. We read so much about Rosie the Riveter and other strong women who stepped up and helped build America up while the men were away fighting in WWII what we don't read as much about is WWI and the effects that happened in London and the European Continent and how women filled the roles of the men there too.

Ms. Robert's writing style is easy and written in a way that you can see Alice and her friends, her family and those who she works for and feel as if you are there participating in all the story.

I enjoyed reading The Foyles Bookshop Girls even if for the longest time I wanted to Shake Alice's dad and wake him up sooner than he did. That was the only frustrating situation in the story. I felt as if some of the men in the story were portrayed to fill the role of all Masochistic schmucks and I am not sure how that will rub some people. I think it was perfect, others may not.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars only because I want to see where the next book in the series takes me...

A must for anyone who loves reading and books in general, life for girls could be so hard during the war depending on family circumstances too. harsh realities combined with a love story.

What a delight!

A story set in the war era and in a book shop was what initially got me interested in reading this book and then I read the blurb, I was hooked.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls is a delightful tale about the struggles of war, love, family and friends. This story is beautifully written and has a great plot capturing all that happens in the era of WW1. The characters are really strong and you cannot help but gain a connection with them. 

I have just seen there is a second book to be released soon and I am very excited to read it. 

Simple Brilliant!

A sweet, coming of age story of friendship between three women during WWI. Alice, Victoria & Molly work in Foyles Bookstore, and as WWI begins, they each find ways to contribute to the war effort. I found the history fascinating and well researched and I enjoyed the view from the home front. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for an advanced copy of this book.

This was an interesting book. Set during WWII, you become familiar with Alice, her family, and best friends. From all the books I've read about that time period, though, it seems like Alice's family did suffer as much as others. It seemed a little too "perfect" for the setting and this time of history.

You will get to know the characters well and will have strong opinions about them all...whether positive or negative. While Alice seems to be mild mannered, you discover that there is a strength hidden below the surface that ones bubbling up when she's provoked too much.

The relationships between family members and friends are often on shaky ground, but you also get to watch as some of the individuals grow significantly throughout the pages of the book.

While the book is set at the beginning of WWII, you really don't learn a lot about the atrocities many people in Europe experienced. There is one lack of supplies, but it seems that the terrors of WWII haven't go cheddar this family as much as individuals in other towns, countries, situations.

Still an enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely charming story from a period of history that fascinates me. Both well written and researched. A little gem of a book. Enjoyed every page. Look forward to reading more about the girls at Foyles! Love reading about places that I am familiar with. Would highly recommend. 4.5* from me. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I never read historical fiction but the title of this caught my eye,I love Foyles so was intrigued to read it
I did enjoy it,the book was not bogged down in historical references and the characters were great
I will definetlyread the other boks in the series whne they are out
An interesting read

World War II books are some of my favorite!!! Bookworms, bookshops, book friends, love and war, what more could you possibly ask for?

This is a moving, emotional story of three young women who do their best to encourage each other and their families while their loved ones are at war. I never lost interest during any point in the book, and became invested in seeing if the young men survived the war. The author made the setting seem very real, especially life during the bombings and the aftermath of those. This is a clean romantic novel with no foul language or embarrassing scenes. I’m looking forward to the sequel to this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

What an enchanting story about three young women, their lives and their close friendship and support of one another at a very difficult time in history. The fact that they all work in a bookstore is just icing on the cake for me! The detail in this well written book is wonderful and I found it very difficult to put down. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

A novel about a bookshop, strong female characters and WW1 ticked so many of my boxes that I was excited to read this. I still can't quite tell if it is part of series or saga but for the most part it was okay.
I have a few questions about the historical accuracy, especially to do with the employing of a married woman and also the with the lead male's war history.
It was a fun read, not an author I will look out for in the future.

1914 London was a period of great change. For women particularly. Life was never ever going to be the same again.

Three young girls, good friends for a very long time worked at a bookshop. For one of them it was a necessity for the other two it was a means of securing a certain degree of independence in families where being independent was frowned upon. The men of the time, were finding it very hard to drag themselves out of a patrician outlook and in Alice's case particularly it was a very diplomatic road she had to trod to keep on the good side of her father.

Declaration of war with Germany changed life for everyone. Everyone had a loved one enlist, it soon became compulsory and the hope that the war would end "by Christmas" sounded very hollow once the days went by.

Trying to keep your spirits up in the face of no news for months on end, the never ending of wounded young men returning from the front, in Alice's case having a baby whilst her husband was at the Front and facing the callous attitude of her father towards his sons put a strain on everyone's spirits.

The descriptiveness of life of Londoners in the face of bombing, privation, the rationing that seemed endless are all beautifully encapsulated in this story. It is a coming of age story in this case as well where these three young girls developed into mature young women seamlessly, despite the mental agonies each one underwent.

I am fascinated at how many stories are told about the Wars and each story is unique and so very interesting. Each one different in how it affected them and each one telling a different tale.

The bookshop serves as a backdrop for the lives of three friends, Alice, Molly and Victoria, as England enters World War I. Each woman has their own challenges to face as the men in their lives go off to war, and they participate in their own ways in the war effort. I liked the friendship of the three, as well as Alice’s family, her rebellious sister, Lily, her brothers, her stern father and her loving mother. Recommended for lovers of historical fiction with a bit of romance.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts is the first story in The Foyles Girls series. Alice Taylor works at W & G Foyles Bookstore on Charring Cross Road in London with her friends Victoria Appleton and Molly Cooper. Victoria is responsible for her two younger siblings since their parents died four and a half years earlier. Molly is in love with Tony Fletcher who likes to flirt with every woman he encounters. Alice comes from a well-to-do family and her father, Luke has very rigid ideas for women which makes life difficult for Lily, Alice’s spirited sister. Alice loves her job at Foyles and spending time with her beau, Freddie who is a police sergeant. Then England declares war against Germany and the men rush to enlist including Freddie. Before Freddie departs for training camp, he proposes to Alice. The wedding will have to wait until he gets leave. As the war continues, Alice, Victoria and Molly want to find a way to help the war effort at home. Alice learns to drive an ambulance and transfers passengers from the train station to the hospital. She likes to keep herself busy to avoid thinking about the danger those she loves are in. Will Freddie make it home from the war? Are her brothers safe? Will the war ever end? Venture back to 1914 in The Foyles Bookshop Girls.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls takes readers back to 1914 when World War I begins. We see how quickly life can change. The story focuses on Alice but includes her family and friends. Alice comes from a more affluent household than her friends. The author did a wonderful job at setting the stage for the book. Elaine Roberts descriptions brought the book alive for me. I could envision the characters, their homes, and Foyles Bookshop. Alice is a spirited, strong intelligent woman. She was the anchor for her group of friends. I like how the characters developed over the course of the story and the friendship between the ladies deepened. Alice matured and developed new insights and a stronger voice. I just loved the accounts of Foyles Bookshop. It sounded like a magical place with all the wonderful books. When Alice mentioned the smell of the books, I completely agreed and understood. It was interesting how the bookshop operated (how people purchased their books, how the payment system operated). I would have liked more about the Foyles Bookshop. It was not central to the story. I wanted to know more about Victoria and Molly. I am hoping that they will be featured more prominently in the next two books in the series. The Foyles Bookshop Girls contains good writing and it is gently paced. It is a tale of friendship, family, faith and hope. Elaine Roberts is off to a promising start with her debut novel of The Foyles Bookshop Girls.

This is a delightful story about friendship and family in the build up and start of the First World War, well researched and a pleasure to read.